Experimental study of skin wound healing with epidermal stem cells from human hypertrophic scar in nude mice

Abstract

To investigate the effect of epidermal stem cells from human hypertrophic scar (HS-ESCs) on the skin wound healing in nude mice. 40 mice were randomly divided into two groups as experimental group (n = 20) and control group (n = 20). Wounds, 1 cm in diameters, were made on every mouse back. The wounds were treated with HS-ESCs and erythromycin ointment in experimental group, or only with erythromycin ointment in control group. The wound healing was observed during the following 14 days. The expression of collagen-I, collagen-III, epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) , transforming growth factor (TGFbeta1, and TGFbeta2) were studied. The wound healing time in the experimental group was (20.8 +/- 0.84) d, which was (25.6 +/- 0.89) d in the control group. HE staining revealed that the extent of vascularization in the experimental group was 11.60 +/- 0.55, while it was 8.04 +/- 0.33 in the control group. Immunochemistry analysis showed the expression of collagen-I, collagen-III, EGF, FGF2, TGFbeta1, and TGFbeta2 in the experimental group were significantly higher, compared with those in control group (P < 0.05). HS-ESCs may promote wound healing through enhancement of the vascularization of the wound tissue and the expression of growth factors.